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Friday, June 14, 2013

Show Off & Inspire - Old Things New

I am so thrilled to be able to Show Off and Brag about Patti and her lovely blog Old Things New. You are going to fall in love with her and her blog if you don't know her. Sit back and enjoy a tour that she shares with us today.

Thank you so much Marty for inviting me over to share with your readers today.

I'm especially excited because it will be exactly one year on June 14, 2013, since I wrote my very first blog post and tentatively hit the "Publish" button on my computer. Whew! I have learned so much this past year and I'm so grateful for people like Marty who has always so freely offered words of praise and encouragement.

So welcome to my house and come on in!

I love to entertain so it's a real treat to have you. Excuse the messy porch, I've been out collecting some wood and moss treasures in my neighborhood today, and doing a little bit of puttering in the yard.

If you could really step through the door I'd probably ask you to have a seat and offer you a cup of coffee or tea, maybe even find a few treats for us to snack on.

I would then ask you to tell me a bit about yourself because, for me, it is always more fascinating to learn about others than to talk about myself. If you were to insist though I would tell you thatI am mom to two amazing adult daughters (who live in opposite corners of the country), wife to Mr. OTN (he rather likes his new nickname) and that we live in a modest-sized home on a little lake in the Pacific Northwest. I worked outside the home for many years and now get to stay at home, create pretty things and blog about them while Mr. OTN works very hard to keep my thrift store allowance supplied! I'm also working at re-creating my home, room-by-room, to get it just the way I want it. More blogging material in the works!We have three really sweet dogs (who aren't as shy about having their pics show up on my blog as my girls and Mr. OTN are).

I love my first morning cup of coffee, my quiet time, reading a good book, sitting in the sun, cruising in our boat, long chats with friends and LAUGHTER. I really love to laugh! I also love making OldThingsNew. The hunt for used items, whether it be furniture, architectural salvage, or just old thrift store junk is a thrill. When I find something with potential the gears in my brain begin churning and I can hardly wait to get it home and get to work on it. The Before and After Furniture Transformations page on my blog will show you some examples of things I've done but this piece that I found on Craigslist is one of my all time favorites! As you can see, I love color!

I also enjoy thinking up new uses for old things, for instance my new curtains made from old drop cloths. This has been one of my most viewed posts and you can see the tutorial here.

If it isn't something old becoming new, or a new use for something old, then I am all about saving money on decorating. I wanted a wall treatment for my home but I didn't want to pay the price for wallpaper. The following is a picture of a sitting area in my house that I painted using a cardboard template and leftover paint. That tutorial is right here!

I've received a lot of attention for this post with many people telling me that I must have tremendous patience. Hmmmm . . . I don't really think I do. You should've seen me at times during this past year when I was trying to figure out what in the heck HTML was and how to add a button to my blog, not to mention completing an entire post only to lose it into the netherworld of blogland!

Since what we surround ourselves with tells more about us than words alone why don't I just show you a few more of the things I've been working on to allow you to see what I like to do and maybe you'll get a look inside the REAL me!

These are some bookmarks made with vintage earrings. You can see the tutorial right here.

I've done several projects using vintage or leftover fabrics. These are bottles adorned with old lace. You can see more of this post here.

Here is a rosette wreath with a mix of fabrics. That tutorial is here.

Since I'm kind of on a rosette kick how about this braided bracelet with a rosette, made from an old t-shirt? Tutorial here.

Here is the matching old t-shirt scarf/necklace which you can find here.

I could go on and on showing you some of my favorite things and what the readers of my blog have chosen as their favorites, but then what incentive would there be for you to come on over and take a look for yourself?

I will share the one big project that started me on the path to restoring old things, our guest cottage remodel. The before pictures on this place are pretty nasty. My husband really couldn't see any potential in it but I'm glad he trusted me. We both put a lot of hard work into it and are now delighted to have a very special place for our guests to stay. I keep inviting my blog friends over but no one has taken me up on it yet!

So does all of this tell you who I am . . . really?

The love I have for restoring used "stuff" is on a small scale compared to the love I have for seeing restoration in the lives of people. My husband and I are so blessed to have people in our lives that believed in us when we didn't believe in ourselves. Our lives are so good now that we cannot help but give back what God has given us. That is our main purpose in life, discovering the potential in people and helping them to see it in themselves. You can read more about that part of our lives on my blog too.

Having the opportunity to be at home in this season of my life and blog about the things I'm creating is really the frosting on the cake of my life! I think my husband secretly hopes that my blog will be a tremendous success, I'll publish a best selling novel and that we'll be set financially for the rest of our lives! Haha! I may never make a penny blogging and I may never get that novel finished (not enough time) but I am truly living my dream life and I didn't even know what that dream was until I got here!

Thank you all for spending a little time at my house. I hope you felt the peace of this place in which I live and I do hope you'll come again.

Blessings,

Now, I am sure you have fallen in love with Patti just like I did when I found her blog. She is so talented and has such a sweet heart, you just can't help yourself. Thanks so much Patti, I loved having you here.

If you would like to be featured on Show Off & Inspire, just send me an email.

17 comments:

Marty, I love all of the photos of Patty's old things made new, and I loved reading about her. There were so many of her projects that made me want to click over to see her blog, but I still work full time, so I'll have to visit her another day. That you, Marty and Patty, for sharing all of this lovely inspiration. laurie

Oh, I would love to have a cottage on the lake to fix up and make my own. Marty, thanks for sharing this lovely lady with us. I am going to go over to her blog right now and check her out. Thanks, Patty

Marty and Patti,Both of you are so talented-you are such an inspiration to your followers!Patti-you know I love your cottage on the lake-this is my dream house!Marty you are the Queen of fabulous vignettes!Thank you ladies,Jemma

Just love Patti and her blog...she is so very talented!...and her home is beautiful...just love her scenic views of the water...and those "pups" are the cutest!!! Have a great weekend Marty and Patti....Thanks Marty for sharing Patti's home with us today!

It Really Works, My Shower Doors Are Really Clean

About Me

Hi, I'm Marty. Welcome - Moving back closer to family finds us transforming our "Builder Basic" into a home that reflects our lifestyle. This is where I share simple design ideas, easy diy projects and thrifty and chic finds. Careful planning, and a sharp eye for design can turn any house into your dream even if you have a small budget. I share it all, the successes and failures. We love to entertain so you'll find a few tried and true recipes and entertaining ideas too.